International Master's in Advanced Research in Criminology (IMARC)
Description:
Why study IMARC
Increasing flows of people, goods and information: one of the major challenges of the 21st century. Great migrations often come with problems of crime and injustice, like radicalisation, human trafficking and violations of human rights. For decades Europe has reacted in a defensive way. Nowadays we realize the need for new visions and joint international responses. Understanding crime and crime control, and finding a balance between demands for security and social justice will be the start of possible solutions.
As an IMARC student
You develop fresh and critical views on the essential criminological issues. IMARC brings together learning, research and practice through collaboration with partners such as governments, NGO’s, corporate actors and other universities. You are trained in a variety of research approaches and methodologies. You participate in international conferences and intercultural and interdisciplinary exchange. As a graduate you will have a lot of expertise in the field of border crossing, security and social justice.
IMARC is an interdisciplinary full-time programme that prepares you for the current demands in the field of border crossing, security and social justice. IMARC addresses these issues from an European and global perspective.
For the first time, experts in the field of international criminology are working together in one joint international educational programme.
Your future with IMARC
What is your ambition? Would you like to be a policy maker at the EU? Or do you prefer to do academic research on border security? Maybe become a policy maker at a NGO or an human rights organisation. With a valuable multiple IMARC degree you will have numerous options to build a great career. As an interdisciplinary expert and a skilful researcher, you will contribute to answers to the current social and political challenges of crimes and crime control.
Structure
First semester
The programme starts at the Erasmus University Rotterdam, where you take several basic theoretical and methodological courses in criminology, focusing on international criminology in general and border crossing, security and social justice in particular. A strong methodological foundation will be developed for research projects by completing a suite of methods modules.
Second semester
In the second semester, you choose a specialisation track at one of the two universities:
- Global flows, local dilemmas and glocal answers (Erasmus University Rotterdam): How are global developments interrelated with local problems? What ‘glocal’ answers are needed from research, policy and practice? Key themes are how global flows of people, goods and business transactions relate to law enforcement and governmental control, urban issues, radicalization, and organized and corporate crime.
- European Union criminal policy and justice in context (University of Ghent): How does the EU respond to the various challenges of criminal activities? The modules focus on theoretical foundations of EU policy as well as practical application to crime and control.
Third semester
In the third semester you will have the choice between a research-based internship or fieldwork for your thesis (if you wish, at another (associate) university). You will start or continue your supervised research, for example through fieldwork, or a research internship (at one of our network partner institutions), or desk-based data collection. It is possible to move to another (associate) university or location in the third semester for an internship or to do fieldwork for your thesis. If you follow the EUR track, moving to UGhent is mandatory under the mobility rules (two universities during the programme).
Research abroad
The added value of the IMARC programme is that you are able to do longer and more elaborate research. You may undertake your research abroad or in the country where you are attending the semester and you can choose among IMARC’s network partners or propose other (new) network partners for your research. You will also take the following four research modules that develop the argument of your thesis from different perspectives.
Fourth semester
In the fourth semester you will write your master’s thesis, at the university of your track. The fourth semester is completely devoted to writing your master’s thesis and is the final part of the programme. The master’s thesis is a central and required part of the IMARC programme.
Career perspectives
The specialists who leave the program know how to approach international issues and research questions from different perspectives. They can work in a variety of sectors at different levels in analytical roles, policy making roles, research roles or PhD positions. The geopolitical changes show that there are more and more organisations involved in combating or preventing migration, security, crime and social justice. Potential employers are inter- or non-governmental organisations; national and European public services; consultancy firms, research and knowledge institutions/academic institutions, banks and insurance companies and consultancy firms.
Access to the field
Through IMARC you can also utilise possibilities provided by associate partners, which are: University Hassan (Morocco), University of Hamburg (Germany), Eötvös Loránd University (Hungary), Koç University (Turkey) and University of Bologna (Italy). In addition, connections with organisations in the field, among which governmental bodies, NGO’s and organisations offer opportunities for research, internships and impact. IMARC also enhances the role of informal and peer-to-peer learning, especially through twice-yearly student conferences (Common Sessions) as part of the Common Study Programme in Critical Criminology (CSP).
This programme involves fifteen universities from twelve countries. Twice a year in Spring and Autumn, postgraduates (Master’s and doctoral), academic staff and associated professionals from participating universities and their non-academic partners meet at one of the university centres for a conference style ‘Common Session’. The CSP offers IMARC students an opportunity to engage freely with peers and academic staff in a range of structured and informal conference style settings. Though the fifteen university partners are centres of formal higher education, the Common Study Programme itself is a transnational and trans-institutional setting in which non-formal postgraduate learning takes place in the timetabled activity of the Common Session conference (see also https://commonstudyprogramme.wordpress.com). A key educational element is the experience of short-term mobility, which is physical (geographical) as well as interdisciplinary and intercultural.
